Water is
the only substance on earth that occurs naturally in solid, liquid and gas
forms. Without it there would be no life on our planet. It is also a powerful
spiritual symbol associated with the cleansing and purification of the body and
the spirit.
For
Christians, baptism by water – itself a symbol of God’s grace – signifies
spiritual rebirth.
Aqua fons vitae. Orientations on Water, symbol of
the cry of the poor and the cry of the Earth.
This is the title of a new Vatican
document rooted in the Social Magisterium of the Popes, and inspired by work
carried out by national and local Churches in different countries.
The
document distinguishes three aspects or dimensions relating to water:
1) water
for human use;
2) water as
a resource used in many human activities, in particular agriculture and
industry;
3) water as
a surface, namely rivers, underground aquifers, lakes and especially oceans and
seas.
For each
aspect, the text presents the related challenges and operational proposals to
increase awareness of the issue and commitment at local level.
The final
part of the document proposes a reflection on education and integrity.
In a press
release on Monday, the Dicastery also announced that a strategy is being
defined to address the situation regarding water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
This will apply to health care facilities belonging to the Catholic
Church.
The press
release notes that in poor and developing countries too many sanitation
facilities do not have adequate access to water for the most basic needs of
cleanliness and hygiene. This places billions of people at risk.
Without
clean water, sinks, soaps, toilets and hygiene procedures patients, care staff
and families lack the foundation or infrastructure for decent, safe, quality
care.
“Births,
surgery, infections, epidemics: none of these can be managed safely without
water, and the situation is particularly alarming in these weeks marked by the
COVID-19 pandemic,” reads the communiqué.
" .... The
document Aqua fons vitae is rooted in the teaching of the Popes and inspired by
the reflections and experiences of members of national and local Churches, over
centuries. Many dioceses, congregations, Caritas organizations, Justice and
Peace Commissions, associations of lay people, catholic schools and
universities are very actively committed to the promotion of human dignity and
the realization of an authentic integral development, particularly in poor and
deprived areas, even where Catholics are a minority. In view of the challenges
raised by the crisis of the COVID-19, and in the light of the magisterial
teaching about the interconnectedness of everything3, be it ecological,
economic, political and social, we are called to consider all the elements
which contribute to elaborating a new paradigm for a new development model.
The
consideration of water, in this sense, clearly appears to be one of the
elements that heavilyimpacts ‘integral’and ‘human’development. 6.The common
good promoted and pursued by the Church is not some particular national agenda,
but “the sum total of the social conditions which allow people, either groups
or individuals, to reach their fulfilment more fully and more easily”4. These
conditions undoubtedly include “a safe environment”5, access to healthcare,
sanitation as well as access to potable water. Therefore, these conditions also
imply a management of water so as to ensure universal and sustainable access to
it, for the future of life, theplanet and the human community. ....
Read: AQUA FONS VITAE
